Home calling for dedicated doctor

FAREWELL . . . Dr Orr (left) celebrates his last day after 28 years at the CH Medical Practice with colleagues Sue Grant, Bernadette Brown, Dr Gill and Melinda Tootill

A MUCH-LOVED local GP is leaving the borough after 28 years of service.

Doctor Richard Orr (56), who works at the CH Medical Practice in Chadderton, celebrated his last day with his colleagues before leaving the borough for good.

Born in Northern Ireland, in recent years he has been splitting his time between working in his homeland and at at the Fields New Road practice.

He will now take up the job of a medical adviser on Northern Ireland’s Causeway Coast but says he will look back fondly on his time in the borough.

“I am going to miss it. I’ve really got to know patients over the years, you develop close relationships with people and I’ll regret leaving that.

“There are people that I have been seeing since day one, I’ve grown older with them.

“I’ve put it off for as long as I could though.”

Graduating from Manchester University, he trained in Failsworth and began working at Eaves Lane in Chadderton.

He was instrumental in creating a new joint practice after 10 years of searching for premises, with a purpose-built centre opened in 2003.

Over his career he has seen the practice grow from serving 4,000 to 8,000 patients.

He was also a medical adviser for the local primary care trust.

The dedicated doctor even picked up an award in November, last year, handed out by the local medical committee naming him GP of the Year.